By Ashis Ray
Port of Spain (Trinidad), March 24 (IANS) The bottom line is India bowled in favourable conditions, batted in equally opportune circumstances, yet they lost to Sri Lanka. It's a tale of incredible incompetence.
Even after seven years of international exposure, Zaheer Khan cannot bowl a correct line on big occasions. Harbhajan Singh, who was wrongly picked - Anil Kumble should have selected - typically, failed to capture any wickets. He was, moreover, the most expensive Indian bowler.
Robin Uthappa established he was unripe for the big stage. Saurav Ganguly can be excused for failing after a conspicuously consistent trot following his return to the ODIs. But he overlooked the fact that mid-off had been stationed deeper than usual to attend to his penchant for the lofted drive.
Sachin Tendulkar was, admittedly, beaten by a beautiful delivery. But would he not have blocked this in his prime? Yuvraj Singh attempted a suicidal run, but these things transpire under pressure.
The Indians should not have allowed the pressure to accumulate in the first place. Mahendra Dhoni was for the second time in three innings caught napping going back and across - this time trapped plumb in front.
At least Rahul Dravid got one thing right - that Virender Sehwag is a man for the big occasion. As long as the latter and the skipper were at the crease, the target against Sri Lanka looked achievable. But the Delhiite ought to have been vigilant about the conjurer's "doosra".
And while, it was a lost cause, Dravid unnecessarily ventured into a lofted off-drive off the back foot in such a considerable outfield, like the one at the Queen's Park Oval. Besides, as captain, he should have put Sri Lanka in and set a more aggressive field with the new ball against Sri Lanka.
For decades, the most unsuitable people have administered cricket in India. Ever since Kapil Dev's team won the 1983 World Cup, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has systematically undermined India's potential by going berserk with one-day cricket, forgetting or being unaware that the aim has always got to be to be the world's best in Test cricket.
The Indian corporate sector, too, riding piggyback on the game, has rendered incalculable harm. Has it occurred to the one-day-wallas what could befall Indian cricket once the ageing triumvirate of Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dravid lay their bats to rest?
Australia, clearly the world's leading cricketing nation, aspire to produce complete cricketers who are capable of excelling at the highest level, namely Test cricket, thus taking into account the lesser examination of one-day cricket.
India will never achieve this as long as politicians, civil servants and businessmen run the sport in a so-called honorary capacity, as if it's adequate to operate an organisation with an income of $400 million with part-timers!
Not a single BCCI official knows how to communicate; yet they continually appear before national and international media. Indian cricket desperately needs to be professionally managed.
Greg Chappell is an astute cricketing mind but he can be abrasive as well. He also originates from a vastly different culture from a majority of current-day players. Some benefit from his approach, but others may have been unsettled by it.
A year ago, many mistakenly assumed India were on a roll. They ignored the fact that the wins in three one-day series were on flat, sub-continental wickets. When India lost 4-1 in the West Indies, this also emphasized that the Indians had won only five of their 20 ODIs in the Caribbean ever - a worry that was to translate into the worst in the World Cup.
India were one of the weakest fielding sides in the tournament. It is, again, the lack of grassroot ethics in the BCCI's system that pays no attention to basics. It is better to have players strutting after a tournament triumph than modelling fancy kit at the behest of an influential outfitter.
Historically, India had a 115:100 win:loss record in neutral venues before the 2007 World Cup. But claustrophobic attention may have created a climate of apprehension; and a fear psychosis is never conducive for success. Bluntly put, today's Indian cricketers are overpaid under performers. This is testimony to a stark absence of a sporting culture.
(Ashis Ray is author of the recently launched "One-Day Cricket: The Indian Challenge" (Harper Collins), which can be bought online on www.ians.in)